Feed mechanisms for printing and like machines



F. WHYTE March 21, 1961 FEED MECHANISMS FOR PRINTING AND LIKE MACHINES 2Shets-Sheet 1 Filed June 1'7, 1957 FIG. I.

March 21, 1961 F. WHYTE 2,976,038

FEED MECHANISMS FOR PRINTING AND LIKE MACHINES Filed June 17, 1957 2Sheets-Sheet 2 United States Patent i FEED MECHANISMS FOR PRINTING ANDLIKE MACHINES Fred Whyte, Ever-greens, Burras Lane, Otley, England FiledJune 17, 1957, Ser. No. 665,925

4 Claims. (Cl. 271-60) This invention relates to feedmechanisms forprinting and like machines and refers particularly to the feedplate uponwhich the sheets are fed and registered in position prior to being takenby means of feed grippers. When a rotary feed mechanism and streamfeeding is employed, it is necessary to ensure that the grippers clearthe front edge portion of a sheet which may already be registeredagainst the front lays, either before or immediately after the wholelength of a preceding sheet has moved beyond the front lay position.With this end in view it has been proposed that the feedplate carryingthe sheet registering device shall be arranged so that the whole or acertain forward portion of the same may be lowered to a positionsufiicient to enable the grippers to clear a sheet at the front lays,after which it may be returned to its normal position when the grippershave passed and prior to their gripping the sheet.

The object of the present invention is to provide a new or improvedconstruction for feedplate and sheet registering devices of the kindreferred to and method of driving and operating the sheet feedingregistering and trip mechanisms mounted on the front portion of saidfeedplate.

A further object is to provide means for the adjust-' ment and settingof the front lays and sheet detectors for the accurate positioning ofthe sheet in relation to the design to be printed thereon.

Yet a further object is to provide, with a feedplate of the kinddescribed, means for access to certain elements of the associatedprinting or like machine.

A still further object is to provide an apparatus for feeding sheetssuch that accurate registration is possible at high speeds of operation.

According to the invention the camshaft operating the sheet registrationand control devices is situated on the front portion of the feed plateand is driven from a convenient member on the printing or like machineand the drive is arranged so as to accommodate for any variations incentre distance due to the raising or lowering of the feed plate in asubstantially vertical direction or adjustment of the front portion ofthe feed plate for varying griphold in a substantially horizontaldirection.

In the preferred application the drive to the camshaft on the frontportion of the feedplate is by means of chain and sprockets, wherein oneof the sprockets is pivotally mounted and spring loaded to provideconstant tension and accommodate any of the variations in centredistance referred to, although any type of drive which is found suitablecould be employed. The rear portion of the feedplate carries the sheetforwarding members, i.e. sheet runners, tapes and roller. The feedplateis first lowered sufiiciently to enable associated feed grippers toclear the front edge portion of the sheet and is then returned to itsnormal position to enable the gripper to seize hold of the sheet. Thefront portion of the feedplate is adjustable for varying amounts ofgrip-hold to enable the sheet to be positioned accurately in relation tothe matter to be printed therein.

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The front portion of the feedplate on which is carried the sheetregistering devices referred to is slidably and adjustably mounted ontwo arms, extending forwardly from a transverse shaft, the said armsbeing coupled by means of connecting rod and lever mechanism to acamshaft on the printing or like machine so as to operate in timedsequence with the feed grippers for the purpose of feeding the sheet.The raising and lowering movement of the feedplate may be accuratelycontrolled by means of adjustable screw stop members and provision mayalso be made for taking up play or wear likely to affect the accuratelocation of the feedplate. Provision may also be made for spring loadingthe feedplate arms in order to relieve the strain on the associated camoperating mechanism. The adjustment for varying the amount of grip-holdon the sheet is obtained by means of links, one at each side, which arepivotally connected to the front portion of the feedplate while the freeends which are screw threaded pass through a swivel bush in each of theforwardly projecting arms, there being a pair of knurled nuts foradjusting the front feedplate in a substantially horizontal direction,according to the amount of grip-hold required. By this means the spacedrelationship of the front and side lays, also the sheet detectors withthe front edge of the sheet remains constant irrespective of anyadjustment for varying amounts of grip-hold.

In order that the invention may be more clearly understood and readilycarried into effect the same will now be more fully described withreference to and by the aid of the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a sectional side elevation of a feed mechanism constructedin accordance with the present invention.

Figure 2 is a plan of Figure 1.

Referring to the drawings, the feedplate includes a front portion 1which carries the sheet registering devices, comprising front lays 2 andside lays (not shown), camshaft 4 to operate same in correct timingsequence with the usual printing or like machine (not shown). The rearportion 5 of the feedplate carries the usual sheet forwarding members(i.e. sheet runners, tapes (not shown) and roller 5*).

The front portion 1 of the feedplate on which is carried the sheetregistering devices referred to is slidably and adjustably mounted ontwo arms 6, extending forwardly from a transverse shaft 7,. the saidarms 6 being coupled by means of connecting rod 8, links and levers 9 toa camshaft 10 on the printing or like machine which effects the risingand falling of the feed plate to operate in timed sequence with feedgrippers 11 for the purpose of feeding the sheet (not shown). Adjustmentis provided for varying the amount of grip-hold on the sheet by means oflinks 12, one at each side of the feedplate, which are pivotallyconnected at 13 to the front portion 1 of the feedplate while the freeends which are screw threaded and pass through a swivel bush .14 on eachof the forwardly projecting arms 6, there being a pair of knurled nuts15 for adjusting and locking the front feedplate 1 in a substantiallyhorizontal direction, according to the amount of grip-hold required. Bythis means the spaced relationship of the front lays and the side lays,with the front edge of the sheet remains constant irrespective of anyadjustment for varying amounts of griphold. The raising and loweringmovement of the feed plate may be accurately controlled by means ofadjustable top and bottom screw stop members 16. At each side (see[Figure 2) additional means being provided (not shown) for taking upplay or wear likely to afiect the accurate location of the feedplate. Inorder to relieve the strain on the associated cam operating mechanismthe feedplate arms 6 are spring loaded by means of the springs 18.

The camshaft 4 operating the various sheet registration and controldevices referred to on the front portion of the feedplate, will bedriven from a convenient driving member on the printing or like machineand the drive will be arranged so as to accommodate for any variationsin centre distance due to the raising or lowering of the feedplate in asubstantially vertical direction by adjustment of the front portion ofthe feedplate or for varying grip-hold in a substantially horizontaldirection. In the preferred application the drive to the sprocket 40 andthereby to camshaft 4 on the front portion .1 of the feedplate is bymeans of the chain 19 from the sprocket 20 carried on bracket 30 whichis pivotally mounted on the camshaft 10 and spring loaded at 21 toprovide constant tension and accommodate any of the variations in centredistance referred to, said sprocket 20 being driven through gears 20from a sprocket 20 loosely mounted on the camshaft 10 and driven fromthe chain 20, although any type of drive which is found suitable couldbe employed.

A further sprocket 31 may be provided which acts as a jockey sprocket tomaintain the desired tension in the chain 19.

The rear portion of the feedplate comprising the sheet forwardingapparatus (roller, tapes and sheet runners) is pivotally mounted on thesame transverse shaft 7 as that carrying the front portion 1 of thefeedplate, but on separate forwardly projecting arms 22, so arranged asto be capable of being lifted upward when required in order to provideaccess to certain elements of the associated printing or like machine.The arms 22 carrying the rear portion of the feedplate may be providedwith adjustable screw stops 23 co-operating with the arms 6 carrying thefront portion 1 of the feed plate and thereby enabling the relativeheights to be suitbly adjusted. Locking screws 24 are also provided tohold the two portions of the feedplate together during the raising andlowering movement.

The sheet registration, detector and tripping devices may be of knownconstruction and, therefore, do not enter into the scope of thisinvention.

I claim:

1. In a feed mechanism for printing machines, and the like, a rising andfalling feed plate, said feed plate having a front portion and a rearportion, a front registering lay carried by such front portion, a firstcamshaft carried by said front portion for raising and lowering saidregistering lay, a drive to said first camshaft, said drive havingadjustable centres to accommodate variations in centre distancesresulting from the rise and fall of the feed plate, a pair of armspivoted to said rear portion supporting said front portion, said frontportion being slidably adjustable on said arms, a second camshaftmounted on said printing machine, means for raising and lowering thefeedplate comprising a connecting rod and lever mechanism, theconnecting rod being secured to the said pair of arms and said levermechanism and being operatively connected to said second camshaft foroperation thereby.

2. In a feed mechanism for printing, and like rnachines according toclaim 1 wherein the drive to said first camshaft includes a sprocketmounted on said first camshaft, a pivotal bracket carrying a furthersprocket, a chain between said sprockets, a drive for the furthersprocket, said pivotal bracket being spring loaded to accommodate thevariations in centre distances of the drive.

3. In a feed mechanism for printing, and like machines, a rising andfalling feed plate, said feed plate having a front portion and a rearportion, a front registering lay carried by such front portion, a firstcamshaft for raising and lowering said registering lay, said firstcamshaft being mounted on the front portion of said feed plate, a driveto said first camshaft, said drive having adjustable centres toaccommodate variations in centre distances resulting from the rise andfall of the feed plate, a transverse shaft carrying the rear portion ofthe feed plate, forwardly projecting arms on said transverse shaft, saidforwardly projecting arms carrying the front portion of said feed plate,said front portion being slidably adjustable on said arms, a secondcamshaft mounted on said printing machine, means for raising andlowering the feed plate comprising a connecting rod and lever mechanism,the connecting rod being secured to the said pair of arms and said levermechanism and being operatively connected to said second camshaft foroperation thereby.

4. In a feed mechanism for printing, and like machines, a rising andfalling feed plate, said feed plate having a front portion and a rearportion, a first camshaft for operating sheet registration and controldevices, said first camshaft being mounted on the front portion of saidfeed plate, a drive to said first camshaft, said drive having adjustablecentres to accommodate variations in centre distances resulting from therise and fall of the feed plate, a transverse shaft carrying the rearportion of the feed plate, a first pair of forwardly projecting arms onsaid transverse shaft, said first pair of forwardly projecting armscarrying the rear portion of said feed plate, a second pair of armspivoted to said rear portion supporting said front portion, said frontportion being slidably adjustable on said second arms, a second camshaftmounted on said printing machine, means for raising and lowering thefeed plate comprising a connecting rod and lever mechanism, theconnecting rod being secured to the said second pair of arms and saidlever mechanism and being operatively connected to said second camshaftfor operation thereby.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS390,277 Allen Oct. 2, 1888 2,198,067 Staude Apr. 23, 1940 2,269,571Aktabowski Jan. 13, 1942 2,583,506 Breman Jan. 22, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS243,977 Great Britain Dec. 10, 1925

